Vehicle track shoe construction



Feb. 21, 1956 D. MESSENGER ETAL 2,735,729

VEHICLE TRACK SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.3

FIG.

Inventors DE SMOND MESSENGER STEWART WH/THARD GLEN W. PHELPS 21, 1956 D. MESSENGER ETAL 2,735,729

VEHICLE TRACK SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

Attys United States Patent Ofitice 2,735,729 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 2,735,729 VEHICLE TRACK SHOE CONSTRUCTION Application May 18, 1954, Serial No. 430,571 4 Claims. (Cl. 305-10) This invention relates to improvements in endless track shoes of the type disclosed in our co-pending United States patent application Serial No. 430,572, filed on May 18, 1954, and the object of theinvention is to provide a shoe construction wherein the shoe is formed by welding two angle iron members together, wherein two of the angle iron webs lie in the same plane to constitute the sole plate of the shoe and the other two webs protrude downwardly face-to-face to form a transverse traction lug extending lengthwise of the under face of the sole plate.

A further and particular object of the invention is to provide a shoe of greater length than the width of the tire or dual tires to which it is to be applied; the outer edges of the tire engaging portion or portions of the shoe being concave and downwardly directed, whereby such portions are of curved side inverted channel form to con stitute an arrangement of maximum strength and rigidity.

Another object of the invention is to furnish the shoe with traction lugs extending in the direction of travel of the shoe and located between the outer ends of the shoe and its inverted channel portions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall appear, the invention consists of an endless track shoe formed and arranged all as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a shoe designed for application to dual road wheels.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the shoe.

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the shoe.

Figure 4 is an end view of the shoe,

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a shoe designed for application to a single road wheel; and

Figure 6 is a plan view thereof.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views of the drawings.

The dual wheel shoe shown in Figures 1 to 4 is formed of a pair of similar angle iron members 10 which are welded together in such a manner that two of their webs 11 lie in the same plane to form the sole plate of the shoe and the two webs 12, which are welded together face-to-face, protrude downwardly to form a transverse traction lug extending lengthwise of the under face of the sole plate.

The shoe is of greater length than the width of the dual wheel tires to which it is to be applied, as shown in Figure 1, wherein the tires 13 are shown in dotted lines. To give added strength and rigidity to the portions 14 of the shoe upon which the tires rest, the edges 15 of such portions are concave and furnished with integral downwardly directed lips 16, whereby such portions 14 are of inverted channel form, and narrower than the outer end portions 17 of the shoe which extend beyond the outer faces of the dual Wheel tires 13. Traction lugs 18 are welded to the under face of the shoe to extend in the direction of the shoes travel and are located to lie across the inner parts of the outer end shoe portions to outer ends of the curved shoe edges 15.

Coupling end receiving housings 19 of wedge shape are welded to the central portion of the top face of the shoe, and are formed with coupling end receiving sleeve orifices 20, all as described in our co-pending patent application Serial No. 430,572.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the same basic constructional arrangement but wherein the shoe is designed for application to a single road wheel tire 21, as shown in dotted lines. In this arrangement, the shoe carries a pair of spaced apart housings 19 which are located adjacent to the outer end shoe portions 17, and wherein the tire is located between the housings.

The central shoe portion 22 upon which the tire 21 rests is formed with concave side edges 23 having downwardly directed integral lips 24, whereby such portion is of inverted channel form.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the welded arrangement of the angle iron members 17 adjacent channel construction upon which the road wheels rest, and that by providing the flat-faced outer shoe portions 17 added stability against the shoes sinking in soft ground is definitely attained.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. An endless track shoe for attachment to rubber tired dual vehicle wheels and comprising a sole plate adapted to rest against and extend across a pair of dual wheel tires and being of a length substantially greater than the distance between the outer walls of the dual wheel tires to which it is adapted to be attached, whereby the end portions of the sole plate substantially protrude be yond said outer walls, a traction lug extending lengthwise and centrally of the ground contacting face of the sole plate, said protruding end portions of the sole plate being of greater width than the widths of the portions of the sole plate against which the tires rest and having flat ground contacting faces on each side of the traction lug, and lips formed upon the edges of the ground contacting face of the portion of the sole plate intermediately of the protruding end portions.

2. An endless track shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer edges of the tire contacting portions of the sole plate are concave and lips extending downwardly therefrom.

3. An endless track shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein the track shoe is formed of two angle iron members bonded together side-by-side with two of their webs lying in the same plane to form the sole plate, and the other two webs protruding downwardly face-to-face to form the traction lug.

4. An endless track shoe for attachment to a rubber tired vehicle wheel assembly and comprising a sole plate having a narrow wheel assembly contacting central portion and being of substantially greater length than the width of the wheels assembly to which it is to be attached, a traction lug extending lengthwise of the ground contacting face of the sole plate, the protruding end portions of the sole plate having flat ground contacting faces on each side of the traction lug, and lips formed upon the edges of the ground contacting face of the central portion of the sole plate.

2,455,307 Irwin Nov. 30, 1948 

